Sterilized and sterilizable hypodermic syringe assembly featuring a detached needle



March 1959 E. H. WILBURN STERILIZED AND STERILIZABLE HYPODERMIC SYRINGE ASSEMBLY FEATURING A DETACHED NEEDLE Original Filed July '7, 1955 Tic J.

7 5 a 5 ww I w U Q 1| p. P 3 m 4 7m 7 E W. fir Jail. 1\ \n\ i M. i 1 0 F. a Q T 70 7 8 5 5w Z W 7 4 4 MM .Z w IKE F w 9 I a r 4 7.. z w fi fl ilnited States Patent sTERrLizED AND STERILIZABLE HYPO- DEnMrc SYRINGE ASSEMBLY FEATUR- ING A DETACHED NEEDLE Edgar H. Wilburn, Rutherford, NJ.

4 Claims. (Cl. 128-218) The present invention relates to hypodermic syringe devices for injecting parenteral liquid medicaments and,

more particularly, to a particular type featuring a housed detached needle, the present application being a division of my parent application Serial No. 520,409 filed July 7, 1955, now abandoned, for Sterilizable and Sterilized Hypodermic Syringe Assemblies.

A general object of the present invention is to provide such device wherein removable parts are designed efliciently to serve a plurality of functions in sterilization and in subsequent hypodemic use, the assembly of parts for sterilization being such that internally the sterilized condition thereof will be efliciently maintained by isolation from air-borne bacteriaumtil such time as they are manipulated for reassembly in this fashion to serve as a hypodermic syringe while assuring protection against contamination during such manipulation.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide such syringe assembly in a form wherein a hollow piston means may serve the dual function of a protective housing for a detached needle and a closing front cap when associated with removable closure means, and thrust stem means for piston means which is to be employed in discharge of barrel contents which is removably carried in a protected manner upon a manipulatable rear closure.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a structural embodiment of the device which is readily and economically constructed on a mass production basis and which allows simple manipulation of parts both for sterilization and for rearrangement for efiEicient hypodermic use without endangering a sterilized condition thereof.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is an axial section of an embodiment of the hypodermic syringe of the present invention, illustrating protective cap means for both the front and back ends of the assembly and with the parts manipulated to hold valved passages open for through flow of sterilizing gaseous medium, indicating in dot-dash lines positions of the t wo cap means when manipulated to valve-closing positions;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view, with parts of the cap means at both ends of the'assernbly broken away and sectioned, illustrating in full lines their relative positions when manipulated to valve-closing positions;

Fig. 3 is a front end elevational view of the back end cap means of the Figs. 1 and 2 syringe structure;

I 2,879,766 Patented Mar. 31, 1959 Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view, taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view, with parts broken away, of one end of needle-housing piston stem structure of this syringe structure, illustrating in dot-dash lines the removal of front end protective cap means therefrom;

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view with parts broken away, of the head end structure of the barrel means of this syringe structure, indicating the mount of the needle thereto which had been accomplished by manipulation of the needle-housing piston structure and with the latter being shown in dot-dash lines as it is removed from the needle; and I Fig. 7 is a side elevational view, with parts broken away and in section, showing the loading of the illustrated syringeof the present invention.

In the syringe structure illustrated in Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive a portion of plunger structure used to expel barrel contents is employed as a part of front protective cap means, serving to house detached. needle structure and cooperate with associated means to close off the front end of the syringe barrel structure, thereby isolating the interior from air-borne bacteria. Barrel structure 450 has a head end structure 451 provided with a cross wall 252 from which coaxially extends a tapered neck 206 having a liquid outlet passage 209 communicated with barrel chamber 63. A hollow elongated stem 176 has a through bore 120, a section of which at serves as a socket into which tapered neck 206 may be snugly jammed and with the end of the stern adjacent thereto carrying an enlargement or lateral flange 197 to serve as a thumbengaging or thrust member. The opposite end of the hollow stem 176 has a cylindrical enlargement 121 from which coaxially extends an externally-threaded extension. 177 adapted threadably to engage into the internallythreaded socket 78 of a piston. plug 79, which may be similar to that proposed in the embodiment of the parent case. The through bore 120 of hollow stern 176 is enlarged within the enlargement 121 and threaded extension 177, or there provided with anenlarged counterbore 122 for a purpose indicated later. The front protective cap means is completed by a slidable cap structure 369 having a cylindrical side wall' 371 telescoped over the cylindrical enlargement 121 of hollow.stem 176 and, in order to have some elasticity, may be molded from polyethylene or other'similar plastic material. Preferably, the free edge of the cylindrical cap side wall 371 is provided with an inturned flange 123 to be snapped beyond the stem enlargement 121, as is evident from Figs. 1 and 2, and this snap engagement is permitted. or facilitated by reason of the fact that in supplement to the elasticity of the skirt of the cap the latter is provided with a longitudinallyextending slot 202 which is to serve as a valved flow passage or way. f

A detached hypodermic needle 'unit which may be of the Luer-lok type, such as that indicated at 255, may be housed in the hollow stem 176 and closed off by the front cap structure 369 associated therewith, as will be seen from Fig. 1. Such a Luer-lok needle has an enlarged hub 208 which is usually flatted off on the sides in planes substantially normal to each other to provide a hub portion 124 which may be substantially rectangular in cross section. Also, the hub of such type of needle usually includes a reduced neck portion 125 and a notched end flange 126. Such needle hub structure 208 is readily received in the stem counterbore 122 when the needle 255 is slid, point first, into stem bore 120, as Fig. 1 indicates. With the needle hub structure 208 received in stem counterbore 122, free passage or flow of fluid therepast is permitted by the notches in-the needle hub end flange 126, the reduced neck portion 125 and the side flatsof the square portion 124, so that there is fluid communication from space 174 within end cap structure 369 about and through the needle unit 255 in the passage or bore 120 of hollow stem 176 to the neck passage 209, and via the latter to the barrel chamber 63.

The back end of the barrel 450 may be provided with an enlargement or lateral flange structure 198 which may be generally diamond-shaped, as will be best understood from Fig. 3, to provide a pair of diametrically-opposed laterally-extending finger wing portions 289, 289, and this lateral flange structure carries an axially-extending, generally diamond-shaped circumambient flange 127 providing a lapping surface for telescopic mount thereon of back end cap structure 175. The back end cap structure 175 includes a cap 182 which is generally diamondshaped in cross section, as is best seen in Fig. 3, having an axially-extending, circumambient side wall 128 telescopically mounted for sliding movement on flange 127 of the barrel enlargement 198, and an internal flange 188 at the free edge thereof assures more secure maintenance of the telescopic assembly of these parts. A side slot 185 in the side wall or skirt 128 of the back cap permits the internal flange 188 to be readily snapped over and beyond the barrel back end enlargement 198 and also serves as a fluid flow passage or way. Centrally of bottom wall 129 of rear end cap 182 are provided a plurality of internal elastic hook-shaped fingers 130-130 which extend into the cap space 183 from the bottom generally parallel to the barrel axis. A piston plug, such as that illustrated at 79, having an internally-threaded socket 78 complementary to the externally-threaded extension 177 of the hollow stem 176, may be readily snapped over the elastic fingers 130130 for temporary support thereof, as is indicated in Fig. l. The elasticity of the fingers 130-130 may be assured by molding them integral with the rear end cap 182 from suitable elastic plastic, such as polyethylene; but this cap and its fingers may, if desired, be molded from somewhat rigid plastic, such as polystyrene, with reliance upon elasticity of the barrel structure and piston plug to permit snap assembly thereof.

In use and operation of the syringe structure illustrated in Figs. 1 to 7 incL, initially the parts of the hypodermic syringe assembly will be mounted together in the manner indicated in Fig. l. The removable Luer-lok needle unit 255 is housed in reversed position in. the hollow piston stem 176 and covered over at the end by front end cap 369. The rear end cap 182 temporarily carries the piston plug 79 and holds it suspended in the cap space 183 for free access to the sides and front end thereof by sterilizing gaseous medium or fluid. The front end cap 369 is in its outermost valve-open position, shown in full lines, so that a portion of the side slot 202 is uncovered and the rear end cap 182 is in its rearmost valve-open position, illustrated in full lines, so that aportion of the sideslot 185 is also open. When such an assembly is surrounded by a sterilizing atmosphere, the sterilizing fluid can flow in either or both directions through the front end cap side slot 202 to the front end cap space 174, thence through the needle hub socket 207 and the needle bore as well as through the hollow stem bore 120 about and along the outside of the needle, thereafter through theneck bore 209, barrel chamber 63, the rear end cap space 183, about the piston plug 79 and through the side slot 185 of the rear end cap. After thorough sterilization, the end caps 369 and 182 are slidably moved to the dot-dash positions indicated in Fig. l, i.e., the front end cap is slid back and the rear end cap is slid forward so that the parts are in the relative positions indicated in full lines in Fig. 2. When the rear end cap 182 is slid forward, it carries piston plug 79 forward to slide it into the rear end'of the barrel chamber 63, thereby securely plugging the back end of the latter. The cylindrical enlargement 121 on the hollow stem 176 closes off the front end cap side slot 202 and the flange 127 of the barrel rear end enlargement 198 4 passes back beyond side slot 185 to close ofl the space 183 in the rear end cap.

In the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive if it is desired that appreciable portions of the external surface of the tapered container neck 206 be thoroughly subjected to the action of sterilizing fluid before being jammed into the needle hub socket with reversal of the hollow stern 176, such container neck structure may he stepped with the stepping providing an enlargement to the rear of the tapered neck portion which is to be socketed into the hub socket. The rear bore section 120' of the hollow stem 176 in such case will be enlarged or counterbored so that it may be securely jammed over that neck enlargement in the initial assembly or relative position of parts illustrated in Fig. 1, to leave exposed to the action of the flowing sterilizing fluid all of the external surfaces of the outward tapered section of the neck 206 which is to be socketed and jammed into the socket of the needle hub 208.

in order to use the syringe structure of Figs. 1 to 7 incl., the operator will remove the front end cap 369, as indicated in dot-dash lines in Fig. 5, and withdraw the barrel neck 206 from the hollow stem bore 120. He will then reverse the hollow stem 176 which still houses the needle unit 255 and, without touching the latter, force the hollow needle hub 208 over the barrel neck 206 with the latter snugly and tightly received in the needle hub socket 207, as indicated in Fig. 6. The operator then withdraws the hollow plunger stem 176 Oil from the mounted needle unit 255, as indicated in dot-dash lines in Fig. 6, reverses it, and after removing the back end cap 182 (by snapping its fingers 130 out of the plug socket 78 with the piston plug 79 left in the rear end of the barrel bore 63) threads the threaded stem extension 177 into the piston plug socket 78 to produce the operative hypodermic syringe assembly shown in full lines in Fig. 7. The operator will then push the plunger stem 176 forward in the barrel chamber 63 to cause the piston plug to approach the head cross wall 252, as indicated in dot-dash lines in Fig. 7, to expel the air from the syringe barrel chamber. He then pierces t-he sharpened tip 256 of the needle unit 255 through the seal of the multi-dose container 93, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 7, and draws a quantity 94 of parenteral liquid into the barrel chamber 63 by retraction of the plunger stem 176 and the piston plug 79 therewith to provide the loaded hypodermic syringe assembly shown in full lines in Fig. 7. The loaded syringe assembly illustrated in Fig. 7 is then ready for hypodermic use in the usual manner.

Although valving structure is employed as barrier means at the head end of the assembly arrangement illustrated in Fig. l, for isolating the sterilized needle plunger parts as well as the outlet passage from the barrel chamber from air-borne bacteria, other suitable barrier means which will perform this function during handling in storage and distribution of such devices and subsequent manipulation by the ultimate users in loading and using them hypodermically may be employed within the scope of the present invention. It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the. preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of languagemight be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A sterilized hypodermic syringe assembly comprising, in combination; an elongated barrel having a sterilized bore and a head structure closing ofi the front end of the bore to provide a parenteral liquid chamber, the back end of the bore being wide open when free of obstructing piston structure, said head structure having an outlet passage communicating with said chamber for injective discharge of contents; a tubular piston stem demountably mounted on said head structure about said outlet passage; a detached, single-ended hollow injective needle housed in said tubular piston stem and having a hub for demountably attaching to said head structure with the needle bore communicating it with the outlet passage; barrier means on the outer end of said tubular stem isolating said needle and the interior of said stem in sterilized condition from air-borne bacteria; and rear end cap structure removably mounted on the back end of said barrel and detachably carrying therein piston plug means slidably receivable in the barrel bore; said tubular piston stem being connectable to said piston plug means upon removal of said rear end cap structure and said barrier means, detachment of said tubular piston stem from said head structure and removal of said needle from said stem.

2. The sterilized hypodermic syringe assembly as defined in claim 1 characterized by said barrier means being a front end cap slidably mounted on the forward end of said tubular piston stem with these structures being so shaped as to define a passage for sterilizing fluid and valve parts for closing said passage upon relative manipulation of said cap and stem, said rear end cap structure and said barrel being so shaped as to define cooperatively another sterilizing-fluid passage and valve parts to close said passage upon manipulation of said rear end cap structure.

3. The sterilized hypodermic syringe assembly defined in claim 2 characterized by said front end cap being in a rear passage-closing position and said rear end cap structure being in a forward closing position and telescoped over a portion of the rear end of said barrel, said piston plug means being in the back end of said bore and detachable from said rear end cap structure upon removal of the latter from said barrel.

4. A sterilized hypodermic syringe assembly comprising, in combination; an elongated, cylindrical, plastic barrel having a sterilized bore and a head structure closing off the front end of the bore to provide a parenteral liquid chamber, the back end of the bore being wide open when free of obstructing piston, structure; a tubular neck carried by said head structure and communicated with said bore; a tubular piston stem telescoped over said tubular neck for temporary frictional anchorage thereon; a sterilized, single-ended, hollow injective needle housed in said tubular stem and having a socketed hub adapted to be telescoped over said neck upon removal of said stem from said neck and reversal to engage said needle hub over said neck; a protective cap slidably mounted on the front end of said hollow stem which in one position opens a sterilizing-fluid flow passage to the interior of said stem and the needle housed therein, said front end cap being manipulatable to another position wherein cooperative parts thereof and of said stem close said flow passage; a rear end cap structure slidably mounted on the back end of said barrel and defining with the latter a back end sterilizing-fluid flow passage leading to said bore when said cap is in a passage-open position; and a piston plug detachably carried inside said rear end cap structure and mounted in the rear end of said bore in a bore-plugging position with said rear end cap structure in a passage-closing position, said piston plug being held free of the back end of said barrel structure when said rear end cap structure is in the passageopen position; said tubular piston stem providing means for socketing said outlet passage neck into the needle socketed hub upon removal from said neck and reversal with removal of said front cap, said rear end cap structure being removable from said barrel back end Without removal of said piston plug from its bore-plugging position and said tubular piston stern being attachable to said bore-plugging piston plug for thrust forward of the latter in the barrel bore.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,707,466 Hoskins et a1 May 3, 1955 

